Florence Overview

This is the city of "rebirth" and "humanism", the "Flourishing city". Florence's ideas of beauty through architecture have had a worldwide impact and the city has an impressive artistic legacy.

Florence is famous amongst tourists and scholars for her glorious artwork, her cultural heritage, and the major role she played in the Renaissance and Humanist movements. All these facets combine to make this one of the most glorious cities in the world. Florence may be a small city, but she is extremely beautiful and a favorite meeting place for visitors and ex-pats of all ages and nationalities.

Districts

Florence is divided into five districts: Campo di Marte, Gavinana, Isolotto e Legnaia, Rifredi, and the historic city centre, which is divided into four sections (San Giovanni, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and Santo Spirito Oltrarno).

The historic city centre (centro storico() is most representative of Florence. The layout of the district follows a road system created by the Romans (known as the ‘cardo’ and ‘decumano’ system). In the centro storico(, you will see the enormous, imposing structure of the Duomo, with its Brunelleschian cupola, a beautiful dome that adds splendour to the city skyline. The city has also preserved its medieval network of streets, lined with regular, geometric Renaissance palaces such as Palazzo Strozzi and Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, which once belonged to Florence’s powerful, oligarchic families.

Campo di Marte is home to many historical buildings dating back to the turn of the century, as well as to many modern stone and cement apartment blocks which were built from the fifties onwards. There are also numerous sports venues, several swimming pools and the Franchi Stadium. Fiesole, and the Bellariva zone are close by; these are swathes of Piagentina countryside that always induced feelings of nostalgia in Tuscan painters.

Gavinana is south of the Arno and leads to the well-known Chianti wine region. On the southwestern side lies Galluzo, famous for its Carthusian monastery.

Isolotto e Legnaia combines areas of the city that were developed during the sixties and seventies and are still expanding. The 'Isolotto' district was once the scene of various clashes and social unrest during the sixties.

Rifredi is in the northwestern part of the city and is a place of contrasts; home to many beautiful country villas as well as industrialized residential areas and host to many Chinese and African immigrants. The influx of immigrants means that even a city like Florence cannot live forever in the past but must create a new multi-ethnic history.

Entertainment

Although Florence is quite a small city, it is inundated with visitors, ex-pats and students; this is great news if want to have an evening of raucous fun, or if you prefer to follow more cultural pursuits. Visitors and Florentines alike are impressed by the wealth of entertainment that they find on offer here.

Going to the cinema or the “movies has become an increasingly popular pastime since the mid-nineties, and the number of cinemas has increased to meet the needs of the people in Florence, many of the city's multiplexes have been renovated and reopened. But although there are many more cinemas, compared with the amount of theatres, it is unfair to say that Florence favors the "Big Screen" to the stage.

In Florence (and everywhere else) most people want to go out and stay out until late at the weekend; this city has a large number of bars and discos, which people can enjoy any day of the week.

Dining and Drinking

Tuscan cuisine, and Florentine food in particular is essentially based on simple, natural ingredients. It hails from the traditions of peasant food and is wholesome and tasty.

Extra virgin olive oil is held in pride of place in Florence, and it is never missing from the Florentine table. Olive oil from Tuscany is cold-pressed, green and pungent or 'pizzichino' (sometimes with a slightly bitter after-taste) and is eaten within a year and a half of harvesting the olives.

Italy is also famous for its pizza and pizzerias can be found in almost every nook and cranny of Florence. Each pizzeria makes its own pizza and Florentine crusts tend to be thin and crispy, cooked in a wood fuelled oven. If you prefer the “traditional Neapolitan pizza, it is almost always possible to ask for a pizza with doppia pasta (double crust), which means you’ll get a softer, thicker crust.

Recent years have seen a big growth in the amount of ethnic restaurants, ranging from the Chinese restaurants (which are the most common) to Caribbean, from Mexican, to Indian, to Japanese. Even vegetarian cuisine has also made an impression on Florence! Il Vegetariano serves wonderful meat-free dishes and is a huge success in the city.

There are also many enoteche or wine bars in Florence: here you can drop in, relax and have a glass or two of good Chianti with a sandwich (panino).

Where To Stay

Italians say that it will certainly take you more than a day to drink in the beauty of Florence, you’ll need to stay for at least a long weekend. It is also true to say that it can be a problem to find a room in Florence, especially if you decide to visit on the spur of the moment. To save yourself unwanted trauma, it is best to book a fortnight in advance. Florence is always popular with tourists and often the more cost-effective hotels are full in November! You will also find that hotel prices are high even during low season.

If you decide to drive to Florence, take note that the municipal police will not allow you to enter the city unless you have a hotel booking or unless you need to unload your luggage. If you must use a car, it is important to stay at a hotel that has parking space.

Did You Know?

In 1339 Florence became the first city in Europe with paved streets.

Orientation/Geography

Located in northwest Italy, less than 75 miles from the Tyrrhenian Coast, Florence stands as the capital of the Tuscany region. Rome rests 172 miles south, Pisa 65 miles west, and Milan 185 miles north.


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